Coupling device



May 21 1946 4 E. A. DERuNGs 2,400,633

GOUPLING DEVICE i y '..Filed Aug. 12, 1945 2 she'aei-.s-sheetv 1 Patented May 21, 1946 ("JOUPLING: DEVICE Ernest Alphonse Derungs, Le Locle, Switzerland Application August 12, 1943, Serial No. 498,333

In Switzerland` September 24, 1942 3 Claims.

This invention relates to coupling devices, particularly, but not exclusively for gear boxes in certain machine tools. The coupling device according to the invention may be used anywhere it is a question of intercalating one or more intermediate gearings into groups of toothed wheels for the purpose of changing the speed ratio between a driving and a driven shaft. rlhis device may be used to particular advantageV in all cases where a certain number of intermediate gearings of different travel must be simultaneously intercalated.

In certain cases, when in a lathe, e. g. it is the question of manipulating the said intermediate gearings with the main coupling and uncoupling lever of the machine, the device according to the invention i's combined with special rods allowing the amplitude ci this main lever to be divided into a certain number of angles, each corresponding to a special action so that the uncoupling is made independent of Y the speed changes and vice versa.

The device according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises an elastic element intercalated into the rods of the intermediate gearings, this element reacting both on traction and compression, this for the purpose of permitting the rods to be lengthened or shortened while loading the elastic element in one or the other sense as soon as the effort transmitted by the Vrods exceeds a certain value.

The accompanying drawings illustrate by Way of example,4 one embodiment of the coupling device according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a part of a machine in which the coupling device is used,

Fig. 2 is apartial Iside view of Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a section through the coupling device.

Fig. 4 is an axial section of a coupling,

Fig. 5 is a section along line V-V in Fig. 4,-

Fig. 6 represents a series of diagrams showing an advantageous manner of applying the mechanism according to the invention to a machine tool having a single main coupling lever forthe forward and return movement.

The ensemble illustrated in Fig. l comprises a main coupling leverl bolted to an axle 2 going off the motor of the machine which is indicated by the reference character The machine in question has three intermediate gearings which are not represented but can be putin and out of action, on the one side, by the crank 4 and, on the other side, by the toothed segments 5 and 6. This crank and these segments are, by means of rods connected to a speed Iselector of the kind -mitting the speed desired of the; machine to be predetermined byl means of a central organ. For this purpose, it possesses controlmeans acting simultaneously or separately. according to the existing requirements, upon the crank i or the toothed segments 5 and i5l respectively, in order to bring them into the engaging position of,

the intermediate gearing which theyl control or to withdraw the latter. For this purpose'this crank and these toothed segments are connected to the control plates 5l! of the selector by means of rods/8, .9 and 0. The differentgmanner in which the plates 5i) are acted upon bythe selecting tilting members l, when lever 24 is rotated, is shown in application No. 497,376. The rods 8, S and Ii), besides the attachments necessary for their connection with the control plates 5l! as well as with the crank orthe toothed sesments, comprise elastic elements Il, all equalV Iwith regard to construction, one of which is illustrated on a greater scale in Fig, 3. These elastic elements II have a tube I2 which can be attached to the rods by means of a hole I3 in which a sleeve I 4 slides serving as a guide to a rod I5 whose head 20 is supported in one direction on a flange of this sleeve. AThis rod I5, at its other end, carries a coupling member It serving, besides, as a st'op. Furthermore, this rod I5 goes through a bush I I pressed against a flange i9 of the tube I2 by a spring I8.

It may be seen in the drawings that the spring I8, which is mounted with a slight initial ltension, bears against the iiange of the sleeve le and against the flange of the bush Il. If a traction is simultaneously exerted on thecoupling member I6 and on the bottom 38, which is likewise connected to the rods, the spring I8 is compressed, because the flange of the lsleeve appreaches the flange of bush I7, the head 2li of the rod i5 remaining in the position represented on the drawings with regard to the sleeve E4. If a compression is simultaneously exerted on the coupling member Iii and von the bottom 38 in order to approach these parts to each other, thehead 2B slides in the' interior of the sleeve M. which bears against the bottom 33 and the spring I8, in this case too, is compressed. rThe material strain of the latter is, therefore, the same in 'both directions for equal forces. 1t is understood that, according to the position of the gearings to be engaged fora new speed, it may be that two teeth lie opposite each other and, in consequence, the engagement ofithe two wheels does not take place at the moment when `the new speed is put in. 'I'his may also occur ings. `ate: it allows the length of the rods connecting tion with the lever. 23.

owing to diierences in the travel of the gear- Then the elastic member begins to operthe control means of the selector with the gearings to be varied and that in the one or in the other sense the tension of the spring persisting the engagement of the gearings takes-place just at the momentl when they commence to rotate.

The coupling le'ver I, by means' of' which the machine can be started in both directions, a'cts by means of a coupling 2|, particularly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4,V and by means of a crank 22 upon a lever 23 pivoted to another lever 2'4 which When moving lever and when Asshownin Fig. 2 coupling 2| is-inse-rted `bei tween the coupling levery and the-lever 23, this coupling-.being represented ona larger scale in Figs. 4 andl 5. It comprises atubey 28- oi square cross section,.closedat the one end-by the `bottom 29 by means orf-'Which it is attached to lever 23. In this tube`28,-forming.the,one half ofihe-cou--- pling 2|,.slides a-piece S'Elformingf the otherl haii` of theA coupling. This piece is attaohedfto ther rods leading to the coupling lever |l and has Aa circular lcut-out 3|A in whichalock-.means inthe form of a circular segment 32v canl rotate. This segment/32 isfxed-to an axle. 33.pivoted on the walls of the ltube 28,-a crank 34 being, besides,

keyed-tothisaxleSS. Thi'scrank is connect-y ed-to an arm 35 looselyl mounted onanaxle 3S carryinglikewise another crank 22 inv-connecilxedto the tube 28.

'I'he operation of the device described is illustratedin Fig. 6.- In the position Iloflever themachine is, for..instancei,. on forwardmovement. Segment 3'2- has sucha position Vrelatively .l

to the cut-out .3| that lever |Y can be brought. into position IL, in which the machine is stopped, without that any movement is transmitted to the parts 28, 22 23 and 24,` that is, stop'pingof! the machine` takes place without exerting any influence upon theselector'. If.V`V the machine is again to bebrought onV forward movementnothing. butreturning'. lever .from position IIl to position I` is necessary. If,.. after stopping, it is desired to act upon the selector inV one or another manner,v for instance, so as tol prepare backward-movement of the machineflever' i' is successively broughtl into positions III` and IV.

This latter is pivotally n y means for simultaneously turning said segmemgV which has brought the gearings into engagement for backward movement.

If, after having acted upon the selector machine Vshould be started for backward movement, lever must be brought from position IV, in which tube 28 and the piece l3i) are again uncoupled, to position V. During this movement of lever the selector is in no way influenced.

From the above it may be seen that, owing to device 2|, stopping, startingand speed change can be eiected with one and thev vsame member, viz: lever l, and, during stopping and starting operation, the speed selector is in no way influenced.

On returning lever l from position V to positionl IVv backward movement of the machine is at'ii'rst'stopped, then the speed changed by the selector. in-a` forward motion and then the machine started for this latter. Y

It"v is. understood that other speed changes could beA provided than those shownin the example of-lig.v 6. v

What I claim is: L

l. In a coupling devicei for use with" change speed gearing, a controlled member, a coupling and uncoupling lever, and means operatively connecting .the lever to4 said member, said kmeans includingA a ,tubularvmemben a slidable member slidable in the' tubular member and provided.` Y, 'with a parti-circular recess, a segmentalr circular element pivotally mounted inv they tubular member` and extending into ,saidV recess, and

tal` circular elementv lar member.

2. In a structure upon shifting lof saidrtubuing one of its ends yconnected to the tubular member,.an element Vto be controlled connected Ondoing this, thel piece' 30, while bearingl against the segment 32,V has takenalong the tube 28fand owingto the connectonerank Sli-'arm $5 the segment 32i has at iirsty taken the position 'shown in diagram I-Il ofV Fig. 6. On moving leverV ,fromposition III to' IV, segment' 3'2 isl furthermore'rotated'. On its way from position II to-IV'lever 23'and,. with it, leverj 24T have been operated and the selector thus" put into action;

to the 'other end oi' the lever, a link ,having one"v of its endspivotally mounted .for movement about a iixed axis and its other endpivotally connected to the medialportion of said le'vena manually operatedrod-like member slidable in the .tubular member and provided with aV parti-ci'r- Y elementi --rotatably mounted on the tubular member andadaptedto cular recess, a disk-like extend into 'saidrrecess said disk-like element havingY a segmental notch therein,. a link lXedly secured. to the disk-like element to turntherewith, and-another ylinkrconnecting the iirst-menk tioned -link-to said fixed axis.

3. VIn. a. machine, armember for stoppingand starting the machine, a coupling device for use with-change speedgearing, a speed selector, and

means intermittently' connecting said. member.. operatively-torsaidspeed selector, sai-:i means including a tubular member, a slidablejmemberV lslidalole in the tubular member and providedA with Va parti-*circular recess, a segmental circular ele- `ment pivotally mounted in the tubular member Vand extending into .said Vrecess and means for "simultaneously turningsaid segmental circular element upon shifting lof 'said tubular member" for influencing said speed selector. Y v

ERNEST ALPHONSE DERUNGS.

the 1 l ofV the character described, an axially movable tubular member, alever hav- 

